1962 Biuck Skylark Convertible, Factory 4spd, 200hp V8, Original Power Top on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Meet the Buick Velite 7, the Chevy Bolt's Chinese cousin

The Buick Velite 7 has officially been revealed after having been leaked and spied a few months ago. The name derives from Buick's line of electrified models it sells in China, of course the design shows it's most closely related to the Chevy Bolt EV. Buick hasn't revealed many details about it, and only one photo, but we do get to see it and we also have a range estimate. The range estimate is 500 kilometers on the NEDC cycle, which translates to 311 miles. That's actually less than the NEDC estimate for the Bolt EV, which is 565 kilometers or 351 miles, which increased for the 2020 model year from 520 kilometers or 323 miles. Of course NEDC figures tend to be much higher than EPA numbers, which rated the current Bolt EV at 259 miles and the previous version at 238. As such, we would expect this Buick to have an EPA range closer to 210 to 220 miles. We don't know what resulted in the lower range, but it could have something to do with additional weight or slightly worse aerodynamics. It could be both. Design-wise, the Buick is clearly based on the Bolt, but has a more aggressive front bumper and a trendy partially floating roof. It also seems to have a slightly boxier, taller profile, mainly because of the nose. Buick hasn't released any other details about the crossover, preferring to save them for the car's launch later this year. Since it seems so closely related to the Bolt, it probably has the same drivetrain: a single electric motor sending 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Related Video:    

2019 Buick Regal TourX sells better than expected, has brand's wealthiest buyers

Being a wagon fan in America is tough, since it seems everyone prefers the higher ride heights and SUV looks of crossovers. But today we have some good news for wagon fans via Buick. Apparently the 2019 Buick Regal TourX is popular with well-heeled buyers, and it's been selling quite a bit better than Buick expected. A representative from Buick revealed that Regal TourX buyers have the highest average income of any of the brand's products. He even noted that TourX buyers' average income is higher than the Buick Enclave Avenir, the extra-plush variant of the three-row crossover and the most expensive vehicle in Buick's lineup. To put the price difference into perspective, the most expensive Regal TourX starts at $35,995, while the Enclave Avenir starts at $54,695. Besides selling to people of some means, the Regal TourX has proven to be more popular than Buick expected. Buick's representative said that initial estimates were that the wagon would make up about 25% of sales, but it's actually making up about 40% right now. Buick has sold 3,408 Regals in total this year, so that means about 1,400 of them were TourX wagons. That number doesn't quite translate over all of 2018 since the TourX was released a little later and the supply was still ramping up through the year. As such sales were closer to 3,000 out of a little over 14,000 for the whole year, or somewhere above 20%. But the increased percentage from the model's release is still impressive. Granted, sales still favor crossovers. Buick's least popular crossover, the Envision, sold about twice as many units as all Regals last quarter. Yet, we count this as good news on the wagon front. Better still, the TourX's top rival, the Subaru Outback, has moved 76,000 units so far this year. Times may be tough for the wagon fan, but there are still some small wins to celebrate. UPDATE: The estimate of Regal TourX numbers for 2018 was higher than actual sales as the TourX was launched later than all Regal models, and the supply wasn't up to full steam for the whole year. The corrected number is now in the text. Related Video:

Third 1987 Buick Regal GNX will be auctioned in January

A member of the 1987 Buick press fleet is hitting the auction block next year and it's a rarified gem: a low-mileage Regal Grand National GNX, serial No. 003 and one of just 547 models built for that year, and the last of the traditional body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive Grand Nationals. It'll be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction in January. The GNX No. 003 was loaned out to publications including Autoweek, Motor Trend and Road & Track, where it racked up around 8,200 miles. "Through it all, a constant sad undertone was the understanding that 1987 was to be the final appearance of the traditional body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive G-body (which also underpinned the best-selling Chevy Monte Carlo, Pontiac Grand Prix and Olds Cutlass)," reads a the description published on Barrett-Jackson's website. "A totally redesigned W-body Somerset Regal, with front-wheel drive and unitized body construction, was slated to replace the popular midsize Buick in 1988." So Buick opted to make "a Grand National to end all Grand Nationals" with the '87 GNX, partnering with ASC/McLaren to equip them with wheel lip flares, fender vents, 16-by-8-inch BBS rims and more aggressive tires. It left untouched the Grand National's standard Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection 3.8-liter V6 but added a larger Garrett T-3 turbocharger with a ceramic impeller, a larger intercooler, more aggressive fuel, spark and waste gate tables, and a dual exhaust system that boosted output from 235 horsepower and 330 foot-pounds of torque to 276 hp and 360 lb-ft. That was enough, Barrett-Jackson reports, to make the performance coupe quicker and faster in quarter-mile tests than the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 930 Turbo. After making the test-drive rounds in the automotive media, the car sold in 1988 as a brass hat/company official car to Fischer Buick in Troy, Mich. with approximately 8,200 miles on it. From there, it quickly sold to a local resident who drove it very little, and sold it in the spring of 1989. Since 1992, it has reportedly been kept in climate-controlled storage, totally original, unmodified and undamaged, with just 10,790 miles on the odometer today. It recently underwent a complete mechanical service and cosmetic reconditioning. You can check out the listing on Barrett-Jackson here. The first '87 GNX ever produced resides in the General Motors Heritage Collection and No. 002 is at the Sloan Museum in Flint, Mich. Interestingly, another '87 GNX, No.